The gift of the Spirit

April 24, 2021

14:1 – 15:17 Being in Jesus, just as Jesus is in the Father

Read John 14:15-17

It is through the Holy Spirit that Christians will be able to continue the work of Jesus on earth. The words, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (15), are an important link between what Jesus has just said what he is about to say. The ministry of the disciples will not just be a matter of doing marvellous works or proclaiming the good news – they are also called to live according to his teaching. This is not simply an ethical requirement. A recurring theme in these chapters is that love and obedience are, in fact, the spiritual key to living in union with Jesus (14:21; 14:23; 15:10).

In living out the life of Jesus, the Spirit is our Counsellor or Helper (16 The Greek word is paracletos which means someone who comes alongside to help). This is the first of five paragraphs about the Holy Spirit in this long section of teaching (14:15-17; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-11; 16:12-15). Jesus is going to ask the Father to give the Spirit to the disciples; therefore, they need not be worried that he is going away for the Spirit is “another” Helper who will be to them (and to us) all that Jesus had been and more besides.

So followers of Jesus are never alone, because his Spirit is always with us (16) and even lives within us in an intimate relationship (17 “he will be in you”). This is something that people of this world cannot understand or experience, but those who through faith in Jesus are “born of the Spirit” (3:5-8) will come into this relationship with Jesus through his Spirit. And because the Spirit is “the Spirit of Truth”, his ongoing work is to reveal the truth of Jesus to us so that we “may know him better” (14:6; Eph.1:17).